Point of Privilege Resolution No. 1-01M

WHEREAS, the nature of farming has changed due to commodity prices and input costs, and

WHEREAS, those commodity prices have not kept abreast of dramatically rising input costs, and

WHEREAS, the resulting gap in those factors has forced farmers to operate on a much larger scale in an attempt to remain viable, and

WHEREAS, a land based Education Tax has become ever more onerous and unfairly withdraws from the hard pressed agricultural sector a disproportionate amount of tax revenue,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that a provincial all-party commission be struck to investigate the land based Education Tax issue and devise a system that will be fair and equitable to all citizens and economic sectors of the province.

Response from Honorable Jim Melenchuk, Minister of Education:

The resolution calls for a provincial all-party commission to investigate the land based education tax issue and devise a fair and equitable system for all citizens and economic sectors of the province. Saskatchewan Education is committed to continuing joint collaborative discussions regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the current assessment system with various stakeholders and educational partners.

The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to achieving and sustaining a balance among the principles of equity for students, equity for property taxpayers, and the effective capacity of locally elected boards of education. With respect to establishing an all-party commission, I would invite you to discuss the potential of such an undertaking with other local government associations.